Shattered Illusions
by virtgrad
Summary: Come and read the Last Will and Testament of a once and future Legionnaire. One Shot


**BEGIN TRANSMISSION**

If you are reading this, then it means that I am dead. I have lived several decades and many of my comrades have fallen. Before it's too late, I have decided to record my life in these holo tracks. I have left specific instructions about what to do with my body and my possessions with my most trusted teammates. Most of these tracks chronicle my victories. This track is an honest look at my failures. This is a brief recount of how my life was impacted by the Legion of Superheroes…and by a Brainiac. I ask that as you read this, do not think too highly of me. See me as a mortal who is as flawed as any other mortal. I also ask that you not judge a Brainiac too harshly for I have experienced first hand the redeeming qualities of one of their own.

My name is Kal-El son of Jor-El. I became known to the 21st century as Superman the Man of Steel. I was an icon, a hero. However, I was once a normal kid growing up in a small town. When I became a teenager, I noticed that I was different. An understatement, yes, but that's how I felt. One day, three strange kids from my distant future showed up and changed my life forever. I came to know them and their teammates as the Legion of Superheroes. Back when I was confused about my identity, they had given me a sense of purpose and hope. They embodied an idealism that's so prevalent in young heroes. With them, I felt at home. I felt free to be myself because they knew me "when."

I was flattered yet bewildered by the attention I had received as a living legend. The thought of being a great hero was so overwhelming that I was hesitant to return to the 21st century and take up the mantle of Superman. It was through the death of one of the Legionnaires that I learned what it meant to be a hero, and for the first time, I was ready to face my destiny as Superman no matter the cost. When I returned to the 21st century, I was afraid that my actions would wipe out the future. I wanted to visit my friends. So many times, I held their time bubble tech in my hands. I always put it back for fear of visiting a future that I wouldn't recognize.

I once thought that I was invulnerable. As a Legionnaire, I became aware of my vulnerability to red sunlight and to magic. I once believed that I wasn't afraid of anything. I was wrong. A Brainiac had helped me to see that, though his methods were…unorthodox. He knew that my greatest flaw was my overconfidence.

As I got older, I had foolishly believed that the earth didn't need defenses as long as I drew breath. I disabled the weapons around the planet making it vulnerable to a hostile alien race. From that experience, I became part of another team, the Justice League. In another reality, I learned that Superman had killed President Luthor. I found myself fighting off that desire. I wasn't capable of that, was I? As I pondered that question, my enemies were relentless in exposing my moral weaknesses. Through their manipulations, I had attacked my own teammate, Captain Marvel, in front of thousands of witnesses. That was my lowest moment. It was a worse feeling than when I was Darkseid's pawn.

It's like I didn't know myself anymore. The world I thought I lived in no longer existed. I often wondered if the world I thought I lived in had ever even existed. I have learned of my vulnerabilities. I have learned of my dark desires. I'm not the Boy Scout people think I am. One by one my illusions about my own greatness were shattered leaving nothing but a broken reality.

Am I being too hard on myself? Perhaps, but in the end, my memories of the Legion gave me hope. For their sake, I kept fighting the good fight. I think that I have lived up to my legend thanks to them. The Legionnaires were my friends; the first real friends that I ever had. I bonded with most of the Legionnaires, but there was something different about the bond between their Brainiac and me. Even before I knew anything about his universe-conquering ancestor, I felt drawn to the self-proclaimed 12th-level intelligent android. He had human qualities about him. He was willing to face his own demise just so that I can face my fear. He had entrusted me with his backup disk. I could have damaged it in the fight, but he took that chance. That's just how much he thought about me.

My battles with his ancestor were nerve-racking. With each battle and with each victory, I was worried that I had erased my friend from existence. Our friendship had been nothing short of ironic. In his eyes, I was the best of the best; the greatest superhero. I became what I am because of my "humble" beginnings with the Legion and with him. I had inspired the person who had in turn inspired me. He was, is, and always will be my friend.

When I think about him, I wonder if the name "Brainiac" will always be associated with death, destruction, and dishonor. Can that name ever be redeemed? Judge accordingly for yourself, but understand something. The Brainiac I came to befriend was everything his ancestor never was and every bit the hero I had aspired to be. The rest is silence.

**END TRANSMISSION**

"The rest is silence."

(_"Hamlet", Act 5 scene 2_)

All mentioned characters are property of DC comics.


End file.
